The country is tense, the Luhya nation is pregnant with hope and expectations. Eyes are set on one man Musalia Mudavadi. Political car drivers are blinking with car indicator lights turning towards the direction of Musalia Mudavadi’s home. But in the ensuing mixture, confusion and cacophony notwithstanding, Moses Wetangula seems to be standing in the path of a possible Mudavadi presidency or a first time Luhya presidency.
Last week, I happened to sit in a den of the social gathering and with bottles flying in and out, the conversation among the wise men from the Luhya community appeared to suggest that, there is a Luhya moment in Kenya. There is a Mudavadi time beckoning on the horizon, the skies are ready to open for a Mudavadi rain but wait a minute, Moses Wetangula is standing in the path of Mudavadi’s bringing home presidency.
There is no doubt about it, going by Wetangula’s body language the speakers could be right or wrong. Wetangula seems not to suggest that he is for a Mudavadi’s presidency. He has not blinked in any manner to suggest that he is for it. If you can recall, during the Mama Hannah burial in Mululu, Mose Wetangula failed to nail this question for once and all, the speaker said as the conversation dragged on while I listened keenly.
As the partakers of men’s hard stuff went on, one participant was bold enough to ask, ” What is holding Wetangula from declaring Mudavadi for president in 2022″? Why was The ford Kenya secretary-general Chris Wamalwa candid and bold enough to back Mudavadi in the presence and glare of the cameras? What was so hard for Moses Masika Wetangula the Ford Kenya party leader to say, the Luhya candidate for the presidency is Musalia Mudavadi? Why is he taking too long to say what everyone is expecting of him, another question was asked.
Some said that he is hanging around Mudavadi due to political problems he having within the Ford Kenya party. Some say that he is only hanging out with Mudavadi just to mark time as he waits to negotiate with Dr. William Ruto. As I observed the conversation, one thing banged me hard, the Luhya nation is solidly behind Mudavadi but they are holistically waiting for Moses Wetangula’s public endorsement of Musalia Mudavadi.
The politics of Moses Wetangula are a bit funny and unpredictable based on his past engagements. You will recall in 2013, at the last minute, Moses Wetangula shocked people as he skipped Musalia Mudavadi and backed Raila Odinga leaving the presidential candidate for the Luhya community at his hour of need. With him joining CORD, Raila Odinga went on to lose in the 2013 election, Mudavadi lost too, so is Moses Masika Wetangula. People have never understood his calculations and mathematics. What outcome could Mudavadi have had if Moses Wetangula could have supported him?
With the 2017 elections fast approaching, there was heated and mounting pressure for Musalia Mudavadi to join the Cord bandwagon and solidify the opposition. True to the drawing and clamor, Musalia Mudavadi formed NASA, and Cord was dissolved. Nasa competed against Jubilee Party but before that time, a presidential candidate had to be picked, Moses Wetangula and his brigade of FORD Kenya with Boni Khalwale as the deputy party leader, they refused to support Musalia Mudavadi only choosing to support Raila Odinga/ Kalonzo ticket.
If you follow these scenarios you will realize that Mose Wetangula is always at the cliff, not at the center. He is a straight survivor, a person who will not state exactly what he wants for the Luhya community but will position himself as beneficiary of the high stake politics. What would happen to Luhya politics if Moses Wetangula declared Mudavadi for president? How will politics play out? Will the landscape change? How will the outsiders view the general Luhya politics?
If Moses Wetangula will continue sitting around and calculating for his personal gain, then the Luhya nation is far from being ready for the presidency? His voice matters most considering the vacuum, that the Uhuru Ruto presidency has created in the country. Above all, many leaders are looking up at him with bated breath to hear that he has endorsed Musalia Mudavadi.
His endorsement will definitely add value, will close off the battle that is going on in Luhya politics. Without him backing Musalia openly then, Wetangula leaves room for other mandarins to visit the Luhya Nation to plant their seeds which keep compounding the Luhya politics. Should Wetangula give direction as to who he backs for the presidency?
